The Protagonist 'Gong' Became my Wife - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: A Contract Partner is Still a Partner

“Bro… Brother-in-law?”

Jiang You’an’s voice trembled slightly, appearing heavily struck by this news. Unfortunately, Jiang Yanning had no intention of explaining the truth, preferring to keep things simple and avoid unnecessary complications. As for Gu Zhuo, he accepted the title with utter composure.

After a quick meal, Jiang Yanning dragged the still-dazed Jiang You’an off to the company. He gave Gu Zhuo Assistant Zhou’s phone number, noting that if Gu Zhuo wanted to go anywhere, he should just call and have Zhou drive him.

Gu Zhuo agreed to everything and watched the two of them depart.

Even once they were in the car, Jiang You’an couldn’t wrap his head around the news. Not daring to go crazy in front of Jiang Yanning, he resorted to bombarding Gu Zhuo’s phone instead.

“Seventh Brother! Are we even bros? You never told me something this huge!” “Spill it—when did you set your sights on my brother? Were you trying to suck up to him through me back then?”

Seeing his guesses getting more and more outrageous, Gu Zhuo handed control of the phone over to 77, letting the system pacify Jiang You’an. Gu Zhuo then flopped onto the sofa, staring blankly into space out of boredom.

A few days ago, he had a clear goal: earn money to treat Mother Gu’s illness. Who would have thought he’d snag a “sugar daddy” so quickly? Now he could get ten million just by lying around at home, and he could even take a bite out of his benefactor whenever he felt a craving. Life couldn’t get any better.

Meanwhile, 77 forced into the role of a mediator and only succeeding in making Jiang You’an angrier looked at the bright red exclamation marks on the chat interface, sighed heavily, and collapsed onto Gu Zhuo’s chest.

Gu Zhuo reflexively swatted it away.

77, are there any plot points we haven’t finished?

Heh heh heh, plenty.

The original plot was already a mess. Of the eight “Gongs,” aside from Wen Xiyu who stuck to the Protagonist Shou like glue, which of them even remembered Gu Xiao? The only one they “remembered” was Gu Zhuo wearing Gu Xiao’s skin.

The current mission completion rate, at most, was only 40%—not even half! 77 flipped through its Work Manual, the little ball looking like it had reached a state of ultimate resignation.

Forget it. If Mission Two fails, it fails. Let’s just focus on finishing Mission One so I don’t get sent back to the System Bureau to be scrapped and rebuilt.

Gu Zhuo listened and counted on his fingers, reaching a conclusion.

We still need to strip four people: Wen Shi, Li Chuan, He Wenyun, and the yet-to-appear seventh Gong, Qi Chi.

Mm-hmm. So, what’s our next move?

Deliver lunch to Jiang Yanning!

Wh—What?

Facing 77’s confused gaze, Gu Zhuo said calmly: “Yes. The next step is to find Jiang Yanning.”

…

【Host, have you ever cooked before? Take it easy!】

Gu Zhuo had a serious expression, moving the spatula with stiff, robotic precision.

I’ve cooked. I’m just following the recipe, aren’t I? I can do this.

In the Interstellar world, the most basic skill for an Omega was to make “delicious and palatable” food. There, “delicious and palatable” simply meant “edible.” Because of the soil conditions in that world, vegetables couldn’t be grown at all. Animals were so irradiated that their meat became coarse and tough; no matter the cooking method, it was hard to swallow.

So, Omegas learned to blend various vegetables and meats into a paste, adding a tiny amount of seasoning. Since these were mostly prepared for Alphas with sensitive senses, the seasoning was kept to a minimum. Gu Zhuo had tried his own cooking once back then and thought it was acceptable.

However, after tasting the delicacies of this world, he would only calmly offer two words: “Pig feed.”

At this moment, a confident Gu Zhuo intended to master this world’s cooking style instantly to show off and please his “benefactor.”

Half an hour later, a loud explosion rocked the kitchen. 77 was blown out by a massive shockwave, tumbling dizzily against the opposite wall. Gu Zhuo emerged holding a frying pan with a hole blasted through the bottom. His fair face was covered in black soot; he blinked, seemingly not yet understanding what had happened.

An hour later, after cleaning up the crime scene, a man and a system climbed into Assistant Zhou’s car, grumbling the whole way.

Host! It’s all your fault! My beautiful little wings are charred black because of you!

How can you blame me? I followed the tutorial you gave me! It definitely wasn’t my fault!

There was absolutely nothing wrong with my tutorial!

Then it must be the equipment! That pan was so thin; the manufacturer must have cut corners!

The man and the system nodded in unison, convinced they had found the culprit.

The car soon arrived at the office building. Having learned from last time, Gu Zhuo went directly from the underground garage to the top floor to avoid being gawked at like a circus animal. Reaching the office door, Gu Zhuo knocked gently.

Jiang Yanning’s cold voice came from inside: “Come in. State your business.”

Gu Zhuo stood with his hands in his pockets, his toes scuffing the plush carpet, looking a bit awkward. “Brother Jiang, I came to have lunch with you.”

Jiang Yanning looked up in surprise, glanced left and right, and asked in confusion: “Where’s the food?”

“I don’t know how to cook.” Gu Zhuo was bold despite being in the wrong.

Jiang Yanning wasn’t angry. “Just as well. I’m going to meet a friend at noon—the one you saw last night. It’s a good chance to be introduced formally.”

This was exactly the sentence Gu Zhuo was waiting for. He agreed readily. 77, flapping its scorched little wings, flipped through the original text and seemed to realize Gu Zhuo’s intent.

【Host, are you trying to use Gu Xiao’s identity to play out the first meeting with He Wenyun? It’s very easy to ‘crash and burn.’】

Whether in the literal sense of a car crash or having his secret identity exposed in public, both were possibilities. In the original text, Gu Xiao’s first meeting with He Wenyun was at a racing club. At that time, Li Chuan had already set his sights on Gu Xiao and took him to the club on purpose. He shoved the terrified Gu Xiao into the passenger seat and performed dangerous maneuvers specifically to scare him. He enjoyed listening to Gu Xiao’s screams. After the ordeal, Gu Xiao’s legs were like jelly, and he scrambled away in a panic, only to accidentally run into He Wenyun and Jiang Yanning.

Jiang Yanning had offered a few simple words of concern, only frowning when he heard it was Li Chuan’s doing. He Wenyun, however, took it to heart and publicly challenged Li Chuan to avenge Gu Xiao. The price Gu Xiao had to pay was to become He Wenyun’s model for a fashion show.

There were several small plot points here that didn’t necessarily need to be followed exactly, as long as the subsequent plot could continue to develop. Gu Zhuo understood 77’s worry—it was mostly fear that with Jiang Yanning present, he couldn’t keep his “Gu Xiao” mask on. But he was prepared.

…

At lunchtime, He Wenyun had already reserved a table at a restaurant, carefully selecting dishes Jiang Yanning liked. Although he received a call midway saying Jiang Yanning was bringing a “kid” along, it didn’t dampen his good mood… until he saw that the “kid” was the lowly waiter from last night who had made him go crazy with jealousy: Gu Zhuo.

He Wenyun forced a smile. “Yanning, you said it was a kid? Who is this?”

Jiang Yanning pulled out a chair for Gu Zhuo to sit before replying. “Hmm? Didn’t I say? This is my partner, Gu Zhuo. ‘Kid’ is just a pet name; he’s actually a university student.”

A contract partner is still a partner. No lies detected.

Gu Zhuo gave a timely, shy smile. “Yes, I’m only eighteen. Hello, Uncle He!”

Wenyun’s face turned visibly ashen. Jiang Yanning lightly tapped Gu Zhuo’s forehead. “He’s the same age as me. Call him Big Brother He.”

“Oh. Hello, Big Brother!”

Wenyun’s ears automatically filtered the words as he called a waiter to serve the food. Since he and Jiang Yanning met abroad, He Wenyun had specifically chosen a Western restaurant, planning to reminisce about the past over the meal.

As the dishes arrived, He Wenyun looked at the Foie Gras in front of him, knowing it was Jiang Yanning’s favorite, and wanted to encourage him to eat more. He looked up, only to see the two of them practically huddled together.

Gu Zhuo held a knife and fork, letting Jiang Yanning hold his hands to help him cut the steak. Since coming to this world, Gu Zhuo had tried all sorts of cuisines, but he had never been to a Western restaurant. Holding a knife and fork for the first time, he habitually gripped the knife handle tightly, looking as if he were about to stab someone.

Seeing this, Jiang Yanning leaned into his ear and whispered: “Should I change the dish for you?” He was afraid Gu Zhuo would be mocked.

“No need, Brother. Teach me; I learn very fast.”

But the warm atmosphere was quickly broken by He Wenyun. “Yanning, I’m a bit curious. We were abroad for three years and I never heard you mention having a boyfriend. Why the sudden relationship now that you’re back?”

Jiang Yanning had already prepared an explanation, doing his best to play the role of someone head-over-heels in love. He slowly took Gu Zhuo’s hand and turned to “deeply” gaze into his eyes. “Love at first sight. I couldn’t help myself.”

Even knowing it was a lie, Gu Zhuo felt his heart skip a beat. He quickly reacted, blushing and lowering his head. “Brother, there are people here. Why are you saying such things?”

Jiang Yanning coaxed him: “Alright, alright. I’ll stop. I know you’re shy.”

With just a few words, the “couple” moved past the question. He Wenyun couldn’t ask much more. Throughout the meal, seeing Jiang Yanning focus almost all his attention on Gu Zhuo made his heart go crazy with jealousy. The food tasted like wax in his mouth, and he soon put down his cutlery.

Gu Zhuo, meanwhile, ate heartily, occasionally receiving snacks from Jiang Yanning. After finishing the table, he unceremoniously ordered several more dishes. 77 flew out midway to watch for a bit then shrunk back. Whatever. I should have gotten used to having a foodie host by now.

After the meal, He Wenyun regained his spirit and invited Jiang Yanning to a racing club. In his youth, Jiang Yanning had loved thrills; though he rarely raced now due to work, he readily agreed to go for a few laps now that he had the chance.

However, he instructed Assistant Zhou to take Gu Zhuo home first. Gu Zhuo tugged at his sleeve and begged, but Jiang Yanning didn’t soften. “It’s too dangerous! I’ll take you once you get your driver’s license.”

He Wenyun sighed along: “Truly a pity. Little Gu, you’re too young and haven’t even tested for a license. You shouldn’t touch such dangerous things. Next time. We’ll bring you next time.”

If Jiang Yanning hadn’t been watching from the side, Gu Zhuo had no doubt He Wenyun’s face would have cracked from smiling too hard.

Gu Zhuo obediently left with Assistant Zhou to go shopping at a nearby mall. But not long after, a cool motorcycle sped out of the underground parking lot, heading toward the racing club.